In a span of only 30 years, the cost of a dental education has gone from zero to anywhere from $60,000 to $430,000. With inflation running hot over the past few years, many graduates are seeing their debt increasing. Fortunately a recent budget decision will provide some relief for those with an outstanding student debt.

This week Matt discusses these recent changes to HECS indexation, the need for further reform and the impact of increasing student debt on the dental profession.

Dental personnel have a long history of ensuring that the members of our Army, Navy and Air Force have good oral health. ANZAC Day is an opportunity to reflect on their service.

In this episode of the Dental as Anything podcast I speak to Dr Amanda Leen about her experiences as a dentist in the Royal Australian Army Dental Corps. Amanda joined the Army as an undergraduate dental student, and served as a dental officer at 1 Brigade in Darwin and 1 Health Support Battalion in Holsworthy. She is now an orthodontist practising in Geelong.

Being a competent dental practitioner is about much more than just surgical skills, and it is important that we focus more broadly on our role as physicians of the mouth.

Dental education, like any form of education, is a beginning and not an end. It starts the journey, equipping graduates with knowledge and skills that can then be built on, and indeed must be built on, over time. It also equips them to adapt as the profession changes and adapts.

This week Matt talks about the issues of dental education, professional identity and what it means to be a dentist.

There have been many dire predictions of an oversupply of dentists over the past decade, but do we in fact have too many dentists? Let's find out in this episode of the Dental As Anything podcast, where Matt discusses the issues of workforce supply and demand. This is particularly relevant as advocacy ramps up in the push to increase government funding for dental programs such as a Senior Dental Benefits Scheme.

Artificial intelligence and machine learning algorithms will play an increasingly important role in dental practice, and there is no escaping that inevitability. But it is not without risk. Alongside efficiencies in the way that dentistry is practised, there are concerns about over-diagnosing, data security and privacy, the use by third parties and direct-to-consumer applications, and on the wellbeing of dental practitioners. This week Matt is again joined by Dr Max Ganhewa to discuss some of these ethical issues that impact on how artificial intelligence will be used in dentistry.

Is artificial intelligence going to change the way you practise dentistry? According to this week’s guest Dr Max Ganhewa, the answer is a resounding yes.

Machine learning algorithms are able to detect dental caries and periodontal disease by assessing radiographs.There is an opportunity to improve treatment decisions too, and this information might help guide patients to assess options as part of the informed consent process. And artificial intelligence could simplify the process of creating dental record entries and automate some of the back office business process in a dental practice.

In this episode of the Dental as Anything podcast I speak to Dr Max Ganhewa, co-founder of CoTreatAI to discuss how artificial intelligence is currently being used, where it might offer advantages, and some of the pitfalls to be aware of.

This week Matt is joined by Dr Tim Keys, a specialist paediatric dentist whose research looked at clinical caries management.

When do we make a decision to intervene restoratively? And perhaps more importantly, how do we make that decision? Is there a gap between the evidence and how clinicians actually practice? In a thought provoking episode, Tim challenges us to explore the current evidence and consider a more preventive approach.

This week Matt talks about public funding in the context of dental service provision across both the public and private sectors. Did you know that $1 in every $5 spent on dental care in Australia comes from the public purse? With the possibility of reform coming off the back of a Senate inquiry into dental services, it’s important for all dental practitioners to be aware of the reasons that change might be coming.

This week Matt Hopcraft is joined by Michael McCullough, Professor of Oral Medicine at the Melbourne Dental School to discuss the role of mouthwashes in clinical practice - are they effective, and should we recommend them to patients?

Michael has just co-edited a special supplement on mouthwashes in the International Dental Journal, which forms the basis of the discussion for this episode.

Did you know that the ancient Romans used Portuguese urine as a mouthwash? It was thought that the ammonia would disinfect and whiten the teeth.